12.08.2006

Now here's a REAL glue gun. Since System Three discontinued the polyuerethane glue that I was using to edge glue my corecell foam, I switched to a thixotropic epoxy glue called "Gel Magic". It's much harder than foaming polyurethane glues and will no doubt require more effort to fare smooth.

http://www.systemthree.com/p_st_gelmagic.asp

Although this product is also available packaged into caulking tubes, I wasn't pleased with the value given that most of the tube is empty space used for the two to one mixing. The guys at Fiberglass supply loaned me a phnumatic glue gun that allows me to bulk load tubes with the product and despense it through mixing tips onto the edges of my corecell strips. It beats mixing the gue up in cups and spreading it on with a butter knife.

The foaming polyurethane glue is much easier to use but I wasn't convienced that it was stronger than the foam itself so I will have to pay the penalty of difficult sanding to come.

After completely ruining a $40.00 plank of nice 3/4 in core cell foam by leaving it in my oven too long. I decided to make a timer that shuts off my oven automaticly. I'm toasting my foam with ten 250W heat lamp bulbs so I needed a heavy duty switch..... The cooking timer triggers the coil that pulls an internal steel tube that pulls a rod that throws the switch that kills the power to the outlet that my oven is plugged into. The wire rail to the left de-energizes the coil once the main switch is thrown........the cooking timer set me back $1.97 and I scrounged the other stuff and spent twenty minutes building this very crude but functional relay.

12.03.2006

A small pirate came into the shop eating a microwave burrito and asked me when the boat will be ready to sail.

The corecell foam planks are being tacked into place and edge glued using system three gel Magic thixotropic epoxy adhesive. When Ifinish forming the foam, I'll screw all the foam onto the mold from the back side and then romove all the tabs. After that, I'll fair the inside foam and then lay the 24 oz triaxial glass and epoxy as shown before.